New club lifts above its weight

IF you are considering trying a new sport in 2013, then you might check out Olympic weightlifting as a competitive sport - not to be confused with bodybuilding, where only size and shape are considered.
By The Newsroom
Published 28th Dec 2012, 09:04 BST

Olympic weightlifting requires and builds strength, speed, flexibility and a great lot of courage to go under a heavy barbell.

General perceptions of a weightlifter are of a rather cumbersome person with a great deal of strength but very little athletic ability, however a visit to Go-Lift Club at Unit A26 Valley Business Park, Newtownabbey, will soon dispel these notions. Members, both male and female, range from 14 to 75-year-olds.

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The club is proud of the fact that it now has the highest number of female members of any club in Ireland and has members from Larne, Ballyclare, Carrick and Whitehead

Leading light in the club is founder Peter Stewart, from Ballyrobert, the current Irish and N. Ireland 77k Champion who represented Ireland at the European Championships in 2012.

The club now has six lifting platforms and loads of Olympic weights and bars. Instructors’ courses are run under the British Weightlifting Association, who send coaches over to take the courses and issue certificates to successful candidates. A child protection course, run by Sport NI, is essential to gain an instructors’ certificate.

Other recent successesinclude UUJ student Emma Alderdice winning the Irish University in Dublin and setting a new Junior record. Ross Stewart has also won the Irish and Northern Ireland 69k titles.

Not bad for a club just going for over a year. Anyone interested can contact the club at Unit A26 or [email protected]

Related topics:IrelandBallyclareNewtownabbey